Record-cleaning attachment for talking-machines.



'1. w. PITCHER. RECORD CLEANING ATTACHMENT FOR TALKING MACHINES.

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APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12, I915- ]Paiented Oct. 26, 1915.

JOSEPH W. PITCHER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

RECORD-CLEANING ATTACHMENT FOR TALKING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 12, 1915. Serial No. 7,844.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH W. PITCHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Record-Cleaning Attachments for Talking-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to sound reproducing instruments and has for its object to provide improved means for cleaning the grooves in a record in advance of the needle, said cleaning device being detachably mounted on the sound box.

The chief aim of this invention is to provide a cleaning attachment of the kind described which may be adjusted to correspond with needles of different lengths, it being well understood that needles of different lengths are used to secure different tone efiects. Obviously, a cleaning device which is not adjustable on the sound box may be effective when one length of needle is used and have little or no effect when a longer needle is substituted, hence the desirability of providing an adjustable cleaning device which will be equally effective with different lengths of needles.

A further object of the invention is to increase the effectiveness of the cleaning device by having it act against the record under spring pressure in an improved manner to be presently described.

Other objects are to eliminate the unpleasant sounds caused by the contact of the needle with the surface of the record in use,

' and to bring the cleaning device in close proximity to the needle, whereby a'ny disagreeable screechy or other noises are appreciably muflied or dcadened.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

The invention will be first hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which constitute a part of this specification, and then more specifically defined in the claims at the end of the de-' scription.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters are used to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sound box equipped with my improved cleaning attachment, a portion of the record also being shown in edge View; Fig. 2 is a rear edge View of the sound box, showing more clearly how the attachment is detachably mounted thereon; Fig. 3 is a detailed rear view of the attachment, and Fig. 4: is an edge view of the same.

The sound box 1, which is of a well known type, has a peripheral flange 2, at the inner edge of which there is a projecting roughened bead 3. My attachment is preferably made in the form of a ring 4, as best illustrated in Fig. 3, and is of a size about equal to the flange 2 of the sound box and adapted to be slipped over the reduced rear portion 5 of the sound box before the latter is attached to the tubular arm (not shown) leading to the amplifying chamber of a phonograph.

The ring a is provided with short lugs 6 bent so as to engage the rear face of the flange 2 of the sound box, and with longer lugs or arms 7 which extend over the roughened bead 3 and are preferably curved for a portion of their length, as at 8, to correspond to the shape of said bead. Said curved portions 8 embrace the bead 3 and the resiliency of said arms 7 cause them to grip said bead with sufficient force to retain the attachment in the desired adjustment on the sound box, the lugs 6 serving to space the ring 4 a suitable distance away from the flange 2. The ring 4 is further provided with a long arm 9 extendin from the end of one of the arms 7 in substantially tangential relation to the ring and flange of the sound box. This arm 9 is preferably at least as long as the radius of the sound box and is of sutlieient resiliency to exert proper force upon the cleaning member 10 which is detachably carried by its lower end for pressing said cleaning member against the record 11. The cleaning member 10 being readily detachable, the same may be re-' newed when worn or different characters of cleaning members substituted one for the other.

The proper adjustment of the cleaning attachment with respect to the needle 12, mounted on the sound box, is illustrated in Fig. 1.. When a longer or shorter needle is substituted, the ringA is turned slightly on the sound box in the proper direction so as to adjust the cleaning member; 10 to the proper level as regards the point of the new needle. The resilient engagement of the Patented Oct. 26, 1915.; I

curved portions 8 of the arms 7 with the roughened surface of the bead 3 lielps'to retain the ring in the desired adjustment.

In order to eliminate .the disagreeable sound or screeching which is usually caused by the contact of the needle with the I surface of a record, I have provided a novel I scraping over the record. By the-use of the felt, as 14, small particles which might otherwise pass through the bristles 13, if the felt were absent, are also caught by the felt and swept out of the path of movement of the needle Having thus described my invention, what E claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is v 1. An attachment of the character described comprising a ring, resilient clamping arms projecting from. said ring to engage the periphery of the sound box for retaining from the ring to space the same away from the sound box, anda cleaning member attaohed ,to one of said arms and adapted to contact with the surface of a record.

2. A11 attachment of the character described comprisinga rigid part adjustably mounted on a sound box, a resilient clamping arm engaging a portion of the sound box for retaining the attachment in a dethe attachment thereon, lugs projectingsired position thereon, a resilient extension on the outerend of said arm, and a cleanmg member on the end of said extension.

mergers scribed comprising a rigid part'adjustably mounted on a sound box, a resilient clamp lng arm engaging a'vpbrtion of the sound box for retaining the'attachment in a desired position thereon, a resilient extension 011 the I outer end of said arm arranged substantially in tangential relation to the sound box, and

Y a cleaning member on the end of said exten- 4:. An attachment of the character described comprising a part attached to a sound box, a cleaning member attached to said part, said cleaning member composed of layers of bristles and felt, the layer of bristles being arranged toengage the suri face of a record in advance of the layer of felt, the latter servingto sweep out of the path of the needle small-particles that might pass through said bristles.

An attachment of the character de-' scribed comprising a ring, resilient clamping arms projecting from said rin to engage the periphery of the sound box fir retaining the attachment thereon, lugs projecting from the ring to space the same away from the sound box and a cleaning member attached to the ring and adapted to contact with the surface of a record and composed of layers of bristles and felt, the layer (if bristles be ing arranged to engage the surface 'of a record in advance of the layerof the felt, the latter serving to sweep out of the path of the needle small particles jithait might pass through said bristles.

In testimony whereof I havesigned my name to this specification in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

JOSEPH W..PITGHER., Witnesses Cnms. E. Bronson, v E. L. Srnmznn. 

